Korotari Suspension Bridge Reach For Your Future Foundation
Learn how we constructed a pedestrian bridge across the Korotari River in Fiji
Learn how we constructed a pedestrian bridge across the Korotari River in Fiji
Korotari Village is in Fiji's second largest Island of Vanua Levu, about 25km from the Island's main township of Labasa. The settlement has a population of five hundred people that rely on crops and sugar cane farming. Reach 4 Your Future Foundation collaborated with the Fiji Government to secure a government grant of $356,695.00, donor funding for the balance of the project cost from Children of Fiji Charity and the Australian Government to raise the total projected funding to design and build the suspension bridge across the Korotari River.
The construction of the suspension bridge has enabled safe access to essential services and markets for the people of Korotari, with improved attendance to classes for the children at Korotari Arya School. The project has also provided educational opportunities for final year Engineering students from RMIT's School of Science and Engineering, who gained valuable practical exposure in structural and civil engineering.
The Children of Fiji Charity, a UK Based charity, contacted Reach 4 Your Future Foundation in August 2014 to seek professional guidance and to lobby support constructing a pedestrian bridge across the Korotari river.
During our first engagement with Children of Fiji Charity and subsequent meetings with the Korotari community, the community echoed their difficulties getting across the river during rainy weather. The river levels ascend rapidly, which made crossing the river to access essential services very unsafe and at times nearly impossible. The Children attending Korotari Arya School were affected all year around, with their attendance to classes constantly disrupted, and classes abandoned.
Reach 4 Your Future Foundation collaborated with the Fiji Government to secure a government grant of $356,695.00, donor funding for the balance of the project cost from Children of Fiji Charity and the Australian Government to raise the total projected funding to design and build the suspension bridge across the Korotari River.
There has also been an educational outcome as a result of the project delivery, with final year Engineering Students from RMIT’s School of Science and Engineering getting valuable practical exposure in structural and civil engineering. The students engaged in the project have now secured full time graduate engineering positions with reputable engineering companies in Australia, working on infrastructure projects. The employees of the students highly appreciated the knowledge and exposure the students derived from working in Fiji on such social action projects.